The invention relates to a bed assembly, for particular use in hospitals, which allows elevation of the head and foot portions thereof and additionally, facilitates the easy turning of a patient in the bed. In order to prevent development of decubitus ulcers, and to aid in sheet changes, dressing changes, etc., and to provide ease and security for a patient while sitting on the side of the bed with legs dangling over the bed side (which leg dangling can be important therapeutically), it is desirable to be able to turn bed patients easily in their beds, and provide support for the patient while sitting on the side of the bed. Heretofore, there have been proposals for providing split mattresses to allow a patient to be maintained on his side while in bed (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,113,286) and there have been proposals to allow upturning of side portions of the bed while also providing for head elevation (see U.S. Pat. No. 348,910); however heretofore there has been no suitable mechanism for providing for ready turning of a patient in bed and at the same time allowing conventional articulation of the bed to provide both head and foot elevation.
According to the present invention, an apparatus is provided which allows for ready turning of a patient in the bed, which turning can be accomplished by only a single nurse, with less help being necessary from the patient, and with less stress on the patient. Additionally, the bed assembly is capable of supporting a patient in an upright position sitting on the side of the bed with legs dangling over the bed. At the same time, the conventional head and foot elevation of conventional hospital beds is provided for, the turning mechanism not interferring with the head and feet elevation supporting means, and vice versa.
According to the present invention, a bed assembly is provided comprising a frame and a plurality of mattress support members adapted to be supported by the frame, including at least three first members and at least three second members. First pivot means are provided for mounting the first members with respect to each other and the second members with respect to each other, so that the members are movable from a first position wherein the first members are substantially planar with each other and with the second members, to a second position wherein the first and second members assume an articulated position with respect to a straight line interconnecting the centers of the member. The term "articulated position" as used in the present specification and claims means that the head, body, and foot portions of the bed, which are provided by the three first members and the three second members, may assume angular positions with respect to each other and with respect to the bed frame.
The bed assembly according to the invention also comprises second pivot means for mounting the first members with respect to the second members so that the first members are movable from a first position wherein they are substantially planar with the second members, to a third position wherein they make a positive angle relative to the horizontal and with respect to the second members. First actuating means are provided for effecting movement of the first and second members about the first pivot means from the first position to said second position and vice vera, and second actuating means are provided for effecting movement of the first members about the second pivot means from the first to the third position thereof, and vice versa.
The first pivot means comprise hinges disposed on the tops of the support members interconnecting the head and body members of each of the first and second members, and hinges disposed on the bottoms of the members interconnecting the body and feet members of each of the first and second members. The second pivot means comprises hinges disposed between the head, body, and feet members, respectively, of the first and second members.
The first actuating means, for effecting movement of the first and second members about the first pivot means to the articulated position thereof, may comprise any suitable conventional arrangement, such as is provided in the "Borg Warner Electrical Bed, Ser. No. 11040, Model No. 362", and such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,314, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. The second actuating means comprises lever means including a first lever mounted at a first end thereof to one of the first support members and having a second end, a second lever pivotally mounted at a first end thereof to one of the first support members and pivotally mounted at a second end thereof to said first lever intermediate the ends thereof; a shaft; and a cable, or a like force transmitting mechanism, attached to the second end of the first lever, and wrapped around the shaft, rotation of the shaft modifying the effective length of the cable and resulting in pivotal movement of the first support members about the second pivot means. A hand crank may be provided for effecting rotation of the shaft, the hand crank including a toothed gear wheel and detent lever for maintaining the shaft in the position to which it has been moved.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a hospital bed assembly to facilitate patient turning while still allowing head and feet elevation. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.